Does the term, Homeowner's Association sound misleading to you?

I think the rules are set in place to protect property values. like lawns need to be kept up and no painting your house florescent green.- Examples.

Would you give up your freedom and rights to live in an HOA?

To some extent that’s the price we pay generally for living in a civilized society, we have to abide by some rules or it does not stay civilized. Most rules that stand the test of time are the sorts of things that benefit more people than not, or protect folks from stuff that would be utter mayhem ‘if everybody did that’.

The HOA is a small version of that but there is a lot more choice, and there is a lot more politics with personal opinions defining what is ‘civilized’ in the HOA.
But you really just don’t have to live in a house that is in a HOA. You have every right to pick a house somewhere else that is not in a HOA. Or find one that has rules you like.

And yes, I live in a ‘co-op’ in New York City. They are notorious for outrageous rules etc, but the one I’m in has some pretty reasonable rules if you ask me.

I would never live in a HOA property.

They have one in my neighborhood. I don’t necessarily like the thought of people policing what I do or don’t do but I could see and have seen in my old neighborhoods how things do get out of whack without some guidelines to maintain a sense of neighborhood continuity. I just don’t want to know the dweeb that goes around with a sharpened pencil checking up on things.